Windsor And Eton : Number One Day Trip From London

Last Updated on July 9, 2024 by Marian Jones

The number one day trip from central London

Visiting Windsor and the next-door village of Eton is one of the easiest day trips from London, taking less than an hour by train. And there you will find a thousand years of English history, centred around Windsor Castle and Eton College. This post takes you to both and also to St George’s Chapel, site of so many major royal events including weddings, christenings and funerals.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, the world’s largest inhabited castle, was built by William the Conqueror just after the Norman Conquest in 1066. He planned it as part of a ‘ring of defences’ around London, in case there was pushback against his invasion. A description of it from 1662 underlines its role as much more than a castle: ‘It is a castle for strength, a palace for state; and hath in it a college for learning, a chapel for devotion and an almshouse of decayed gentlemen for charity.’ Still today it is a royal palace with a church – St George’s – within the grounds, one of three official royal residences, alongside Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh.

Windsor, an easy day’s ride from London, soon became a popular venue for royal hunting. The original wooden structure was rebuilt in stone and various monarchs enlarged it, notably Edward III who added royal apartments, a great hall for feasts and the College of St George, home of the Order of the Garter which he founded. There is much more on the history of the castle on the podcast, including stories of the monarchs most closely connected with it, such as Henry VIII, Charles I, George III and Victoria and Albert. The story of the Order of the Garter – from its founding motto, Honi soit qui mal y pense to today’s Garter Day ceremony every June – is also related.

What To See At Windsor Castle

Wandering inside the site is the best way to get a real feel for the castle. On some days you can watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony – details here. Inside, the royal rooms are as stunning and as history-laden as you’d expect: the beautiful Queen’s Gallery, for example, has blue and gold brocaded walls and a collection of silver furniture presented to Charles II by the City of London in celebration of his restoration after the Civil War. You’ll find Crimson and Green Drawing Rooms, a State Dining Room and an Octagon Dining Room, a magnificent Grand Reception Room and much more. Guided Tours are an option.

It’s also a treasure house of artwork from the Royal Collection, including 600 drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and royal portraits ranging from Gainsborough’s George III to Cecil Beaton’s photograph of King George VI and his daughters, one of whom became the longest-reigning monarch, Elizabeth II. Look out too for other treasures – Queen Mary’s exquisite doll’s house and the musket ball which killed Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, for instance.

St George’s chapel

Begun in the 13th century, the Chapel was completed by Henry VIII and is the burial place of many English monarchs including Henry VII – founder of Eton College – and Henry VIII himself. He lies here, alongside his 3rd wife Jane Seymour, under the floor in the centre of the Quire. Charles I was buried here too, following his execution, as were George III and all the monarchs who died in the 20th century. In a side-chapel you will find the graves of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, alongside those of her parents and sister. There is also a plaque for her uncle, Edward VIII, who abdicated in 1936 and is buried in the nearby Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore.

Princess Charlotte statue Windsor Castle

24 banners for the Companions of the Order of the Garter make a colourful display, hanging from the ceiling of the chapel, alongside some 800 ‘stall plates’ commemorating past members of the order. One of the earliest is for Sir John Chandos who fought alongside Edward III at the Battles of Crecy and Poitiers. Look out for the spectacular West Window, dating from the early 1500s and showing pictures in stained glass of 75 kings, princes, popes and saints, with Henty VI in pride of place in the middle at the top.

You’ll see lots of images of St George slaying dragons around the chapel, for he’s the patron Saint of the Order of the Garter – and of England! On your way out, you will pass an imposing portrait of Edward III, the Order’s founder, dressed in a floor-length red velvet, ermine-trimmed cloak and carrying a sword with the crowns of two of the nations he defeated – Scotland and France – hooked onto it. More moving and less macho is the beautiful statue of Princess Charlotte, heir to the throne until 1817 when she died in childbirth at the age of 21. It was paid for by public subscription and shows her rising above a shrouded figure and flanked by two angels.

what else to do in windsor

You could spend days exploring Windsor Great Park but you may prefer just to seek out the Long Walk, a tree-lined avenue set up by Charles I to link the castle grounds with the wider parkland. Boat trips along the River Thames start just 5 minutes’ walk from the castle entrance and the various options include sailing past Runnymede, where Magna Carta – a key document in the development of English democracy – is thought to have been signed by King John in 1215.

A walk of 10-15 minutes will take you to Eton – turn right at the castle entrance and walk down the hill, around the corner to the right and over the bridge. In Eton High Street you can see antique bookshops, tearooms and shops like Billings and Edmonds Outfitters where the famous school’s 1300 (male!) pupils buy their distinctive uniforms. The Museum of Eton Life is open on weekend afternoons and the Eton Walkway is a self-guided hour-long walk which will take you past famous school sites such as the wall where the Eton Wall Game is played, the Boat House and museums of Natural History and Antiquities.